The father of murdered toddler James Bulger has admitted that he blamed his
former wife in the wake of their son’s death for letting him out of her
sight.

Ralph Bulger, 46, said he was now “deeply ashamed” of holding Denise Fergus, 45, responsible but that at the time, his grief and anger took over.

In his new book, My James, he described how he drank two bottles of whisky a day to ease his heartache and thought about committing suicide.

“There would be times when – quite unfairly – I blamed Denise,” he said, in an extract published in the Mail on Sunday to mark the 20th anniversary of the two-year-old's murder.

“I was wrong. Very, very wrong. It was just part of my raging grief. I wanted to scream, "Why did you let go of his hand? Why did you let him out of your sight? He would still be here if it wasn't for you."

“I am deeply ashamed of blaming Denise. She loved James with her heart and soul, and what happened that day was not her fault. It could have been any parent's child.”